Laura Scott - True Blue K-9 Unit Christmas

“I can imagine.” He leaned against the counter. “Must be awesome to work with dogs.”

“I love it.” She hesitated, then added, “Although, I have to say I like the investigative side of being a cop, too. Search and rescue often provides both, but the way Zimmerman ridicules my skills bothers me. Ricci was following Logan’s scent when those shots were fired.”

“I know.” Pete remembered how things had gone down, all too clearly.

She filled a bowl of water for Ricci, then pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down. He joined her. “You would think the lead detective would ask for our assistance in a case like this. But not the old stuck-in-the-mud guys like Zimmerman.”

“Listen, Faith, it might be best if you stay here for the night. You can sleep on the sofa. I’m off for the weekend, so the kids don’t have to be up early.” A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You know they’ll love having a sleepover.”

“I’m not sure what to do,” Faith confessed. “I need to call off work this weekend, too, now that I’m the sole parent caring for Jane. I should go to a hotel, but the idea of making you drive us there in this mess of a snowstorm seems selfish.”

He didn’t like the idea, either. “It’s your call and I understand your concern. We don’t know each other very well, except to say hi at the day-care center. But the kids will have fun. And you’ll be safe. That’s what matters, right?”

“Right.” Her tone lacked conviction. “And I’m fairly certain we weren’t followed, considering the snow.”

The momentary silence was broken by the oven timer. Pete jumped up to check the pizza. Golden-brown cheese indicated it was ready. “Tell the kids to wash up for dinner.”

“Will do.”

He found himself smiling as he pulled the pizza out of the oven and set it on the cardboard backing to cut it. It had been a long time since he’d shared a meal with someone—okay, a woman—and it felt nice. But then he remembered how he’d once thought the same about Malina and look where that had ended up. She’d been murdered over secrets she’d kept from him.

Once everyone was situated, the kids sitting on pillows, Faith put her hands together and looked at him. “Shall we pray?”

He shouldn’t have been surprised. Earlier, Faith had mentioned getting support from her church. And his sister-in-law, Eva, was also a believer and had often prayed before meals.

Pete quickly folded his hands and stared down at them, giving Mikey a look that indicated he should follow suit. Thankfully Mikey copied Jane.

“Dear Lord, we thank You for keeping us safe in the snowstorm today. We also thank You for this food we are about to eat. We ask that you continue to guide us on Your chosen path. Amen.”

“Amen,” Pete echoed.

“Amen,” Mikey and Jane repeated.

The rest of the meal went off without a hitch, but Pete couldn’t help wondering about Faith and her beliefs about God and church.

Eva had tried to convince him to give attending church a try, but he’d resisted, his emotions too raw after learning of Malina’s drug abuse and subsequent involvement in a local drug-running operation.

Yet now he thought maybe there was something he was missing. Something that put a peaceful smile on Faith’s face, despite how her ex-husband had just been murdered and she had been shot at a short while ago.

Something that might make a difference in his and Mikey’s future if he had the courage to reach out and take it.

Faith could tell that praying before a meal didn’t come naturally to Pete, but she was touched by the fact that he went along with it, even encouraging his son to do the same.

She hadn’t dated anyone after her divorce. Between working and caring for Jane and Ricci, she didn’t have the time or energy to spare. Logan hadn’t been involved in the church. She’d joined shortly after moving to the NYC K-9 Command Unit because Brianne had encouraged her to attend. Two of her fellow female K-9 officers, Brianne and Lani, had welcomed her not just to the unit but as good friends. Lani had transferred to a new K-9 unit forming in Brooklyn, and Faith would miss her.

The sense of peace and rightness had cloaked her the moment she’d entered the congregation. It was refreshing to be with people who were so kind and caring. She’d instantly felt at home.

Of course, she was still learning, but feeling more confident in her faith every day. Brianne and her new husband, Gavin Sutherland, who’d be heading up the new Brooklyn K-9 unit, were both active members of the church. She’d often watched them together, thinking how wonderful it must be to have a relationship based on Christian beliefs.

“Can we play in the snow after supper?” Mikey asked.

“Yeah, can we?” Jane added.

“Not tonight, but guess what?” Faith injected enthusiasm into her tone. “We’re having a sleepover! Won’t that be fun?”

“A sleepover?” Mikey’s eyes widened. “Yay!”

“Where will we sleep?” Jane, the ever-practical one, asked.

“You could make a tent in the playroom,” Pete offered. “We’ll put sleeping bags and air mattresses on the floor so it will be comfortable.”

“Can Ricci sleep with us?” Mikey asked.

“Sure.” At this point, Faith knew there would be no way to prevent it. Besides, Ricci was a great watchdog. “And maybe tomorrow we can play outside and make a snowman.”

“Yay!” Jane shared Faith’s dark hair and blue eyes, but her mouth was all Logan. Her daughter’s smile reminded her of the earlier, happier days of their marriage.

Before it all fell apart.

It occurred to her that she might be using the sleepover as a way to put off telling Jane about her father’s death. It was hard to know how much a four-year-old would even understand. She glanced at Pete, knowing he’d had the same conversation with Mikey several months ago.

She made a note to get more advice from him, later.

When the kids finished eating, they ran back into the playroom.

Pete began cleaning the kitchen, shooing her off when she offered to help. “I’ve got it.”

“Okay, I’ll take Ricci outside then.” She put her K-9 on his leash.

Ricci took his time, sniffing all around the yard as if he’d picked up some other animal’s scent. She hunched her shoulders, keeping a wary eye on the road in front of Pete’s house.

The traffic had dissipated, leaving the occasional driver passing by. Nothing looked remotely suspicious or out of place.

Faith wondered if she’d overreacted. She was here at Pete’s just because of seeing the slight disturbance on the windowsills outside her home. The houses were close together; it was possible that someone had gotten an address confused. Or maybe they’d been left by kids who’d wanted to get a closer view of the Christmas tree.

A car slowly rolled down the street past Pete’s house. It was difficult to figure out what kind of car it was, since it was covered in snow.

As it went by she noticed the license plate was also obscured by snow. She rested her hand on her weapon and debated calling for reinforcements. There was a flash of brake lights, as the car stopped at the intersection for what seemed like an incredibly long time.

Ricci came over, his tail thumping against her, but she kept her eyes glued to the car. There was only one person in it. Why was the car just sitting there?

Finally, the brake lights disappeared and the car turned to the right. The suspicious part of her nature made her wonder if it was going to go around the block to end up in front of Pete’s house again.